Following research into the application of Electronic Monitoring (EM), Criminal Justice Order (2016) no. 954 was published, which introduced EM for offenders leaving custody in England and Wales (Ministry of Justice, 2016). EM was later extended to include those subjected to release on temporary licence (ROTL). The purpose of this study is to be the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to evaluate a pilot project using EM during the ROTL process. The outcome allowed for recommendations to be made regarding the continued use of EM within the open prison estate. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
When the regulator updated its proficiency standards for nurse education it was seen as a step forward, but now there are fears training has become too generic
It is almost five years since the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) overhauled its proficiency standards, which provide the basis for nurse education. It heralded a new dawn for the profession. Out went the separate requirements for the four different fields of nursing and in their place came a generic set of standards designed to equip nurses for the fast-changing nature of 21st century care. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
A healthy and valued workforce is vital for safe and compassionate mental healthcare. That was my take-home from the recent senior leadership symposium on advancing and sustaining the mental health nursing workforce. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The popularity of the nurse well-being app has inspired a new version offering personalised support for students. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
With as many as one in three nursing students leaving their course before they complete it, a new free app will offer personalised support to those who are struggling.
An intervention strategy that helps nurses deal with distressing or traumatic incidents, or crisis situations. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Psychological first aid (PFA) is an intervention strategy to support people in severe distress following crisis events. These traumatic events might include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes or trauma experienced in nursing work, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Off-duty texts or meeting-up with patients could indicate that boundaries have been blurred, and consequences could be severe. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Positive and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships are crucial to building the trust and respect that enables nurses to provide the best possible care.
Mental health nurses working in inpatient settings are at increased risk of being assaulted by patients. Systematic reviews have synthesised predominantly quantitative evidence relating to the prevalence, contributing factors, effects and adverse outcomes of violence towards mental health nurses. This article details a systematic review that used a meta-aggregative approach to synthesise qualitative evidence on the experiences of mental health nurses who have been assaulted by patients in inpatient settings. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The aim of this study is to explore nurses' experiences of seclusion or restraint use and their participation in immediate staff debriefing in inpatient mental health settings.
To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Coercive measures represent an ethical conflict because they limit the person's freedom, compromising their personal autonomy, self-determination and fundamental rights.
The reduction of the use of coercive measures implies not only regulations and mental health systems, but also cultural aspects, such as societal beliefs, attitudes, and values.
There is evidence about the professionals' views on coercion in acute mental health care units and community settings, but they remain unexplored in inpatient rehabilitation units.
Nurses work in mental health services around the world, constituting the largest professional group.
Nurses have been identified as being potentially able to carry out a much wider range of functions than are typically allowed in practice, when provided with suitable training.
There are long-term concerns regarding shortages of mental health nurses in England and many other countries.
Workforce data is rarely subject to analysis in peer-reviewed journals.
Mental health professionals with lived experience of mental illness can find it a challenge to integrate their identities as both mental health professional and mental health service user.• There are currently limited options available to them
Mental health nursing staff may experience psychological stress and burnout. Exercise provision for mental health staff may improve staff physical and mental wellbeing and mitigate against psychological burnout.
Existing research suggests the provision of exercise equipment for mental health nursing staff may improve staff attitudes towards physical activity and staff confidence in motivating physical activity amongst patient groups they care for, although more research is needed, and research investigating the attitudes of mental health staff towards such initiatives is warranted.
Ben Hannigan explores a recent systematic review exploring the prevalence, risk factors and interventions for suicide and self-harm in nurses and midwives.
Not all nurses managers have experience so education in, and exposure to, compassionate leadership can be vital
What is the difference between a manager and a leader? All organisations need a manager, but they benefit from leaders. But when nurses become managers, are they managing, leading or both? To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The nursing profession is facing some of its greatest challenges. After providing society with highly skilled care during the pandemic, the effects of the demands made of nurses are becoming noticeable, leading to global staffing shortages. The positive impact of nursing leadership strategies on the profession’s response to COVID-19 have been significant, yet more recently we have seen the media portrayal of nurses shift from angels and heroes to disrupters. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Psychological first aid (PFA) is an intervention strategy to support people in severe distress following crisis events. These traumatic events might include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes or trauma experienced in nursing work, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Advice for nurses on reporting concerns and abusive practices, whether in forensic, assessment and treatment units or other care settings, and the support available
Poor care has been back in the spotlight following two TV exposés. Undercover filming by the BBC Panorama programme highlighted alleged verbal and physical abuse of patients at the Edenfield Centre, a secure mental health unit in Greater Manchester. This was followed by a Channel 4 Dispatches programme investigation into care at acute mental health wards at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Tips for nurses on monitoring the physical risk factors for people with mental illness who are being teated with antipsychotic medications
People with mental illness, especially those with severe mental illness (SMI) such as psychosis, have a life expectancy shortened by 20 years compared with the general population (Pradhan and Joshi 2018). To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
New app boosts the mental well-being of beleaguered staff, and helps them to combat burnout and stress
ShinyMind is the only mental health and well-being app co-created, developed and tested in partnership with NHS employees at all levels. The new nursing version provides more than 150 resources, tools and exercises to support well-being. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Any nurse could have contact with patients who have been accused or convicted of an offence, or found to have diminished
For nurses working in prisons, mental health units and even hospital emergency departments, caring for people who have been charged with or have committed serious crimes is part of the job. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Previous research has found that nurses in inpatient CAMHS can struggle to define their role and contribution to patient care. While gratitude has received increased attention in relation to subjective well-being in healthcare settings, the receipt of gratitude in the form of thank you letters is currently unexplored in the CAMHS context.
Medication self-management (MSM) is considered an important aspect of pharmacotherapy and plays an essential role in the treatment of various illnesses. To date, research into the willingness and attitude of psychiatric healthcare providers toward MSM in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders during hospitalization is lacking. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Aggression by patients against healthcare workers is a global recurring phenomenon in mental health care. Discrepancies in defining aggression can lead to differences in judgement, which in turn causes difficulties in managing aggression. The multidisciplinary nature of mental healthcare makes a standardized definition an even more pressing matter. No studies, however, were found exploring the way different disciplines approach the definition of aggression. Although traditional methods of managing aggression rely on coercive methods, current research favours the use of non-coercive measures. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Communication between nurses and patients is essential in mental health nursing. In coercive situations (e.g. seclusion), the importance of nurse–patient communication is highlighted. However, research related to nurses' perceptions of nurse–patient communication during seclusion is scant. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The therapeutic relationship is not always functional in clinical practice due to various factors, such as lack of time, lack of job motivation, exhaustion and rejection towards the person cared for.
Clinical practice within statutory roles is an important issue for the nursing profession. There is increasing involvement of nurses undertaking statutory roles and opportunities for nurses to advocate and offer their unique clinical opinion regarding the need for restrictive measures imposed by mental health act legislation. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Use of debriefing following restrictive practices in forensic psychiatric care - Author: Jaana Asikainen, Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Eila Repo-Tiihonen, Olavi Louheranta To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Relationship between forensic vigilance and personality traits, work experience, burnout symptoms, workplace stress and satisfaction in forensic mental healthcare professionals - Author: Maartje Clercx, Marije Keulen-de Vos, Leam A. Craig, Robert Didden To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Seclusion and restraint still regularly occur within inpatient mental health services. Professionals lack clarity on safe and humane procedures. Nevertheless, a detailed policy on for instance age limits, techniques, and time limits is required. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Identifying patient-reported outcomes of the nurse-patient relationship is a priority in inpatient mental healthcare to guide clinical decision-making and quality improvement initiatives. Moreover, demonstrating nurse-sensitive patient outcomes can be a strategy to avoid further erosion of the specialism of psychiatric and/or mental health nursing. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
With increasing workplace and home pressures for many, nurses can support colleagues through open, honest. In the BBC TV programme ‘This Is Going to Hurt’, hospital staff plant a tree in memory of a colleague who has died by suicide. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
In 2021, a historic milestone was reached by mental health nursing which passed by largely without note. It was the moment when the number of mental health nurses working in community services in England’s NHS finally exceeded the numbers of those working in inpatient wards (NHS Digital 2022). This was a long time coming. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Holistic care helps nurses identify key risk factors, such as unhealthy diet and smoking, in people with severe mental illness. There are several reasons why physical health monitoring is important in people with severe mental illness (SMI). This article focuses on two: improving physical health outcomes and extending the scope of mental health nursing practice. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
It can help maintain a healthy, supported nursing workforce, yet access to good quality clinical supervision has been found to be inconsistent. With increased workplace pressures, moral distress and burnout during the pandemic, clinical supervision gained prominence across all fields of nursing. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Selecting a clinically approved one to help support clients. The health app marketplace is vast. Healthcare professionals and patients have access to more than 365,000 digital health products via Google Play and Apple’s App store. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
How mental health nurses can carry out safe and humane interventions with service users – as well as identify and challenge the misuse of practices in the workplace. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Why you should read this article: To learn about some adaptations to practice adopted by a low secure mental health unit during the COVID-19 pandemic; To be aware of interventions used to enable staff to continue to support patients during the COVID-19 pandemic; To appreciate that staff’s experience of the adaptations to practice and the well-being support offered to them during the pandemic can be used to inform post-pandemic practice. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The study is consistent with previous research in finding that IHT reduced the amount of time spent in hospital for people experiencing an acute mental health crisis. The average reduction of 24.55 days in hospital over 12 months seems clinically significant, especially as this study was performed in a modern crisis care system with a greater number of other care options than in previous studies. Therefore, the findings should be disseminated to clinicians and service users, to show that home treatment is an effective alternative to hospital admission. Importantly for those who might be worried about the risks of IHT, the study did not find any increase in adverse events or later compulsory admission, although there might not have been a big enough sample size to detect a difference.
Rates of re-traumatisation among mental ill-health patients have risen significantly over the past decade and clinical guidelines place mental health nurses at the heart of their care. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Leadership in nursing is about inspiring colleagues to deliver the best care and improve patient outcomes, whether you are a student, newly qualified or a team leader
It is an outdated notion that leaders are only those who manage a team, or call all the shots. There is increasing recognition in nursing that everyone – at every level – can demonstrate leadership and develop as a leader.
To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The authors rapidly reviewed the international literature to identify determinants of workplace violence against hospital-based nurses and the effects of workplace violence on nurse outcomes. Twenty-one studies (22 articles) formed the final sample – 16 quantitative, three qualitative and two mixed-methods studies. Supervisors, other nurses and physicians were the major perpetrators of workplace violence against nurses. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This literature review focused on nurses in the NHS and found that self-rostering had a positive effect on their work-life balance and job satisfaction. However, a move to self-rostering can pose challenges and it should be assessed for suitability before implementation.
Nurse managers should consider how floating shifts are administered so that nurses feel supported when working on a different ward or unit. Nurse managers can greatly influence nurses’ ability to manage floating shifts. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Overall, the study provides interesting insights into stakeholders’ perspectives of HIIT in psychiatric inpatient settings, but the question remains about how we find out the views of stakeholders with no interest in exercise.
Advanced planning of care and peer support are two of several approaches advocated by Mental Health Europe as a way to reduce coercive practice in mental health. In this study, Tinland and colleagues have demonstrated that including peer worker support in the development and sharing of advance directives compares favourably to leaving patients to do this on their own.
Reducing admissions is a laudable aim, and the evidence is that, overall, peer support did not achieve this in this high need population, but admissions is not the only important outcome.
Given the positive results from some other high quality RCTs, and importantly from qualitative work about the experiences of those providing and receiving peer support, and the quite specific circumstances in which the results of this study apply, peer support arguably still has much to offer.
Mental Health Act Assessment (MHAA) is not experienced as person-centred. Although not explicitly set as a specific standard of the assessment process (DoH, 2018), the overarching principle is of empowerment, involvement, and increased personalised care (DoH, 2015).
The participants expressed difficulty in understanding the process and their options, lack of voice, and disempowerment.
Thus, this study supports that throughout the MHAA, information be delivered more effectively, repeated discussions on options be had, and emotional support be offered.
Despite the constant pressures and chronic shortages, the number of nurses leaving the NHS had flatlined over recent years. Now our analysis of new data shows there has been a large increase in nurses leaving the NHS, and that this trend is being driven by younger workers.
Empathetic and inclusive leaders enable teams to achieve better outcomes for patients, but can be difficult to find in the hierarchical organisations of the NHS
Compassionate leadership is good for staff and good for patients, with a growing evidence base showing that it results in staff being more motivated and delivering high-quality care.
To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.